1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sealing ring for a vehicle wheel having a tubeless pneumatic tire with two tire beads which are formed on its radially inner side, the tubeless pneumatic tire being mounted on the radial outer side of a multiple part rim by means of its tire beads, and having a sealing ring which seals the pneumatic tire radially inward toward the rim, is arranged on the radial outer side of the rim, extends over the circumference of the rim in the circumferential direction and extends between the two tire beads of the pneumatic tire in the axial direction.
2. Discussion of Background Information
DE-B 1021738 discloses a vehicle wheel having a tubeless pneumatic tire with two tire beads which are formed on its radially inner side, the tubeless pneumatic tire being mounted on the radial outer side of a multiple part rim by means of its tire beads, in which the pneumatic tire is sealed radially inward toward the rim with an insert belt which extends over the circumference of the rim in the circumferential direction and extends between the two tire beads of the pneumatic tire in the axial direction, toward the radial outer side of the rim. To this end, an insert belt which is arched radially outward in axial cross section is inserted during mounting radially outside the rim between the two tire beads, with the result that it presses against the tire beads on account of the excess pressure in the tire in the operating state with its axial end sides while opening the arch and is tensioned in a sealing manner between the tire beads. The contact is largely undefined radially and over the circumference of the tire and depends on the random contact between the insert belt and the individual tire beads during insertion and fastening of the tire beads on the rim. During every loss of compressed air as a result of operation and renewed filling of the vehicle pneumatic tire with compressed air, there is the risk of a random undefined positional change between the insert belt, the rim and the vehicle pneumatic tire. In order to achieve a reliable sealing action and in order to avoid undesirable unbalances, it is necessary to position the insert belt permanently in as defined a manner as possible with respect to the rim and with respect to the vehicle pneumatic tire. Defined permanent mounting of this type is possible only with great additional expenditure, if at all, in the case of this insert belt which is arched radially outward and is merely inserted and clamped between the beads without rim contact.
It is known from DE-B 1053334, in a vehicle wheel having a tubeless pneumatic tire with two tire beads which are formed on its radially inner side, to construct a substantially flat insert belt which is configured on both axial sides with a cross section which tapers to lobes radially outside the tire beads between the tire side walls in the vehicle pneumatic tire during mounting, the tubeless pneumatic tire being mounted by means of its tire beads on the radial outer side of a multiple part rim. When the mounted vehicle pneumatic tire is filled with compressed air, the insert belt is pressed radially inward on account of the internal pressure, with the result that it presses radially between the tire beads with complete axial contact to the tire beads and bears completely against the tire beads and rim and bears with its lobes tightly against the lower tire side walls. In order to achieve complete contact, the flat insert belt is profiled in accordance with the beads, with the result that the bearing contact is achieved completely when it is pressed in radially. The contour of the profiled insert belt with lobes has to correspond to a very accurate negative of the bead and rim contour, and the insert likewise has to correspond very exactly to the setpoint position during mounting, in order that the negative contour of the insert belt can bear accurately against the positive contour of the beads and the rim. This means that both manufacturing expenditure and mounting expenditure become very great in order to ensure a sufficient sealing action.
DE 69401237T2 discloses a vehicle wheel having a tubeless pneumatic tire with two tire beads which are formed on its radially inner side and by means of which the tubeless pneumatic tire is mounted on the radial outer side of a multiple part rim, which is to be sealed radially inward toward the rim with a concentric sealing ring which is mounted between the tire beads. The sealing ring is of substantially cylindrical configuration both on its radial outer side and on its radial inner side, and extends over the entire circumference of the rim in the circumferential direction in the mounted state of the vehicle wheel. The sealing ring is of wider configuration in the axial direction than the spacing between the two tire beads of the mounted vehicle wheel, with the result that it has a sealing axial press fit with respect to the two tire beads in the mounted operating state of the vehicle wheel. In order to achieve a press fit, which is varied from the radial inside to the radial outside along the radial extent of the sealing ring, between the sealing ring and the tire beads, the sealing ring is of profiled configuration at its axial end faces. To this end, the sealing ring is provided with conical runouts on its radial inner side in the axial end face region. The axial pressing force component is transmitted substantially by the axially rigid material block of the sealing ring which extends between the tire beads. The radial pressing force component is applied to a substantial extent by the excess pressure in the vehicle wheel. Even if a positive press fit profile for the sealing action is possible as a result of this, the ability to mount this sealing ring with a substantially cylindrical cross section is made more difficult. For mounting, the sealing ring has to be bent about its circumferential axis counter to the high resistance of the rigid block-shaped cross section, in order that the sealing ring can be inserted at all in the axial direction between the tire beads. The high forces which are required for this and have to be applied from outside endanger the accuracy of the fit.